Rainstorm
by The Jasper Raven
Summary: He tried to make him leave, afraid that his presence would put their graves to shame. But, the way he held him in the pouring rain, and the way that he kissed him, almost made him think that he cared again. [ItaSasu]


**Title: **"Rainstorm"

**Authoress: **Sasukez

**Anime: **Naruto

**Pairing: **ItachixSasuke

**Rating: **T For: some language, angst/emoness

**Occasion: **Yuki no Namida's birthday

**Dedicated: **Yuki no Namida

**Disclaimer: **The anime Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

**A/N: **Please enjoy this fic and please leave lots of reviews! Thank you! :)

It was that dreaded day again. It seemed like it was the same day every day. The years were passing by to quickly and it felt like it happened a day before all the time. It was raining again on this dreaded day. It seemed like it rained every time. It always seemed so dead. A cloud of black flowed into the cemetery. The people of the village came to honor the proud clan of Konoha on the anniversary of the massacre. All but one. Jade eyes searched the sea of black in search of a single face. A single face was supposed to be there more than any of them. He hadn't joined them when they left to gather at the cemetery. Where was that single face? She understood more than anyone else what this memorial meant to him.

Speeches were made before the marble mausoleum where they lay the resting spirits of the honored Uchiha clan. Each took their turn laying white flowers before the grave. The memorial went to quickly for three's taste. Soon the black sea parted and the mausoleum was abandoned save for three. They waited together under a single umbrella. They knew he would need support when he came. They waited and waited for a dark figure to appear but not one came. The rain fell harder and harder and the pounding of it against the umbrella became deafening. When he saw the first flash of lightning and heard the first distant rumbling of thunder, their master decided his student wasn't coming.

"We should go," he suggested softly and gently.

He knew his blonde companion would be furious and she would be upset. He tried to be as calm and understanding as he could.

"That damn bastard!"

"Why wouldn't he come to his own family's memorial? Doesn't he love them at all?"

She wiped away her own tears. The older of the three waited for their emotions to settle before he said something.

"He'll be here."

"We've been waiting for hours! If he was going to come he would have been here by now!" the Kyuubi vessel retorted.

"Maybe he's waiting for us to stop waiting."

The younger boy was silent as he took this into consideration.

"Why does he have to do everything by himself?" she sniffed.

He led his students back home and the mausoleum was left to wait for its most important mourner. When he came it was slowly and silently. The soaked ground squished under his black boots and it sucked at the bottoms of his black pants. He pressed on through the heavy rain and thick mud to the waiting tomb. He never winced at the blinding flashes of lightning of the deafening roars of thunder. He was numb to the storm.

He stopped before the tomb, his once luscious raven locks now plastered to his porcelain skin in strings. His clothes clung to his body and he looked more like a homeless boy than a wealthy mourner. He fell to his knees before the tomb with an armful of flowers. His raven eyes were void of feelings. He was like an unused doll. He sat before the structure for a few moments longer before his eyes finally moved to the blanket of white flowers laying in his usual spot. He supposed he should be glad the village went through the trouble to organize a memorial to honor his family. But he wasn't. He hated it. The people of the village didn't know his family. Some of them had never even met them. How could you mourn for someone you never knew? How could you mourn for someone you never loved? He began his own personal ceremony robotically. He placed the first flower among the white ones. At least his would stand out. The first was a yellow daffodil. He paused before he began to speak to a person that wasn't there.

"Auntie Zakuro," he said, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't spoken for eons. "Its me, your nephew: Sasuke. I brought you a daffodil because I know they're your favorite. Uncle Raiden always gave you daffodils on your birthday, or your anniversary, or Valentine's Day."

His next flower was a sunflower.

"Uncle Raiden. You always said flowers were for saps and acted like a tough guy. But I know you're a big softy. You couldn't hide your secret sunflower garden from me."

An unconscious smile lit his cold face at a memory.

"I remember we used to always sneak into your backyard to play and I found it when we lost our ball once and when I asked you about it you said it was a secret. You didn't want Shisui or I--"

He choked over and his smile shattered. How dare he? How dare he even think of mentioning their murderer's name during this ceremony? Thunder growled overhead and he was afraid they were angry with him for daring to say that name at such a sacred place. He gulped down his anxieties and placed the next flower down with a trembling hand.

"Shisui," he continued, voice quaking. "You told me you couldn't stand flowers but I didn't know what else to get you. This black rose seemed the least girly of all of them. I hope that'll make up for the fact that it's a flower."

He carefully placed his flowers, giving his family's spirits an explanation for each. He saved the two most important members of his family for last. He paused before he laid down the blood red rose. He trembled and not from the cold rain.

"Dad," he choked, voice trembling. "I thought a rose was suitable for you. Whenever I see them I think strong, elegant, powerful…just like you. You had your fair share of thorns but I always knew somewhere you had a shining flower…even if I never saw it…"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to keep back the tears he knew were fighting to break through. His hands shuddered so much he almost dropped his final offering. He laid the branch of cherry blossoms along the other flowers.

"Mom," he sobbed. "I know how much…you loved going to the Cherry Blossom Festivals!"

His shivering hands flew to his face and he hid his tears from the world. It was the only time of the year he allowed himself to cry like this. This was the only time he could release his sorrows without being taunted or ridiculed. He was alone.

"Why did you leave me by myself?" he asked between sobs.

The rain only seemed to come down harder as he cried. He was being tormented. He was being forced to relive the experience. The thunder. The lightning. The rain. It was all the same. No one was there to wipe away his tears. He was alone.

"I'm sorry!" he suddenly shouted, releasing his face from his hands. "Dad, I'm sorry. I know you wanted me to be stronger. I know you wanted another perfect son! I'm sorry I didn't turn out the way you wanted! I'm so pathetic!"

He fell into the blanket of flowers and sobbed into the sweet petals.

"I don't deserve to be your son. I'm so weak."

He cried and cried and cried, disgracing himself in front of his father's spirit. The rain pounded down on him and at times it almost hurt, like he was being punished for his weakness. He didn't care. He wanted to be punished. He was a disgrace to his clan; a sniffing mongrel. He wasn't sure how long he cried until he felt the dark presence lurking nearby like a vulture waiting for its moment to feast. He laid there for a few moments longer, waiting for the stranger to strike. They never moved. He scrambled to his feet and faced the stranger that dared to interrupt his private ceremony. His being froze at the sight of the figure. He stood like a black gargoyle. The rain streamed down his cloak and traced the red patterns. From the shadows of the hat two eyes of ruby red penetrated his soul.

The mourner didn't notice that the dark figure was drawing closer until there were only a few steps left between them. Those ruby eyes hypnotized him into standing still and staying silent. They stared at each other through the driving rain for what seemed like an eternity. A smirk tweaked the older's lips from the shadows of the hat. Those were the same lips that leaked lies like poison and rained knives of words that broke his heart. He hated them.

"You never did learn how to take care of yourself, did you dear Otouto?"

That voice. It was like the voice of the devil himself. It was so deep and so dark. He was filled with terror at the sound of it. What was he supposed to be. The boy flinched when the man raised his arm to his hat. The hat left his head and the younger was surprised when it fell upon his own head and shielded him from the pouring rain. His trembling onyx eyes met the enshrouded red ones. That smile was so familiar. It wasn't the sadistic one he had seen last. It was warm and kind for once, like the one he used to be given when he was a child. Then a terrible thought dawned on him. This was **_Itachi Uchiha_,**__murderer of the Uchiha Clan. He wasn't allowed here. His clan's spirits would be furious. Without thinking, and blinded by a swarm of emotions, he lunged at the man and tried to push him back.

"You have to leave! They'll be angry if I let you stay!"

The older of the two stood firm and he looked at the boy slightly amused. The younger's pushes grew weaker and his screams of protest turned into whimpers. He grew still for a moment before his shoulders started shaking and his hands clutched at the black fabric of the cloak. He sobbed again. The hat had fallen and he was vulnerable to the rain again. His knees grew weak and started shaking. They gave out and he fell. He expected to meet with the soaking wet, cold ground. But he didn't. Instead he was cushioned by the warm arms of his dear brother. He didn't understand at first. And he didn't care. He just wanted to cry. He just wanted to be held and to be loved. He didn't care who's arms he was in. It didn't matter.

Itachi Uchiha, murderer of the Uchiha Clan, for the first time in many years felt sorrow in his cold heart at the sound of his brother's cries. This was not what he had intended. He didn't expect him to mourn all these years. He thought he would be stronger. He was wrong. He realized what the delicate boy in his arms had been doing all these years. He had been waiting for someone to come and dry his tears. He had been waiting for someone to come and fill in the void in his heart where love was supposed to be. He was still living in that night. Itachi decided to tempt fate. He could give this boy the love he had been waiting for. It was up to him to accept it.

Slender fingers slid around a porcelain chin. He raised up the boy's face and looked into the melancholy eyes. Sasuke Uchiha, heir to the Uchiha throne, suddenly felt warm despite the cold rain. He let his brother kiss him without hesitation. The thunder grew louder and the rain drove harder. He knew they were beyond angry at his actions but he no longer cared. He just wanted to be loved. He wanted to share his sorrows with the one person he always longed to give his heart to. The kisses grew more passionate and Itachi pushed him against a tree harder than he wanted.

Pain seared through Sasuke's back and he whimpered against the silken lips over his mouth. Sensing he had hurt him, Itachi's touches grew more gentle and he nursed the spot where he had been hurt. Silent tears fell from Sasuke's eyes while his brother kissed him. He didn't know if they were sorrowful tears or joyful tears. This had been what he wanted for so long. After so many years of being alone, he was now loved.

"Forgive me Sasuke…" Itachi whispered against his pale lips.

"I do…" he whimpered.

"How could you after all I've done?"

"Because I love you."

Sasuke was afraid of his reaction. What if he didn't return his feelings? Itachi drew his lips to his brother's ear, breathing warm air over soft skin and whispering the words he'd always dreamed of hearing.

"I love you too."

**Author's Review: **Woot! I really got into this fic and I was proud of how it turned out! I hope it wasn't to emo for you guys! Please review!! :)


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